Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad

(from INSANITY: THE ASYLUM)

Quinoa contains all the amino acids needed to make a complete protein. It's pretty rare to see that kind of nutrient profile in a single plant-based food.

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water or broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 lime wedge
• 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
• 1 Tbsp. diced onion
• 1 tsp. grated raw ginger
• 1 Tbsp. julienned mint
• 1 Tbsp. chopped pistachio nuts
• 1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce

Combine quinoa, water or broth, salt, and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until about half the liquid is absorbed and quinoa begins to soften, about 15 minutes. Strain quinoa in a mesh strainer, then place in a bowl. Squeeze lemon and lime over quinoa and place in refrigerator to cool. When cool, toss with remaining ingredients. Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving, prepared with water):

Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
383	14 g	7 g	64 g	9 g	1 g

Quinoa with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

1 c. quinoa

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. dried red chile flakes
2 c. water
salt to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 2 limes
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 avocado, chopped

Rinse quinoa. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet . Add sweet potato, scallion, and chile and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add quinoa; toast for 2 minutes. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cover. Simmer until quinoa and sweet potato are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. If liquid remains unabsorbed in the pan, raise heat to high and cook for 2 minutes until it boils off. Stir in black beans and lime juice and cilantro. Top with avocado and serve warm or chilled.

This was very tasty, and great cold the next day for lunch.

Red Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans

The Gluten Free Goddess has this recipe on the blog for Thanksgiving. So don't walk, run over there and see how gorgeous this dish is, then make it for your own feast.

Red Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans

I find red quinoa is a tad more crunchy than the usual quinoa I cook, so I add a bit more water to make it softer. If you like your quinoa al dente, use a grain to liquid ratio of 1:2 with red quinoa. If you prefer it a little softer, add another 1/4 cup water.

You'll need:

1 cup red quinoa (I used Ancient Harvest Red Quinoa)

Cook the red quinoa in a rice cooker, using a 1:2 ratio of 1 cup red quinoa to 2 cups water. As mentioned above, if you like it softer, add an additional 1/4 cup water. If you don't have a rice cooker, cook the quinoa on the stove in a pot, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium roasting pan add:

1 smallish butternut squash, peeled and diced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved or chopped as you prefer

1/2 of a medium red onion, diced fine

1 clove of garlic, minced

Drizzle the butternut squash, cranberries, onion and garlic with a little olive oil, to coat. Add a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup- not too much. Sprinkle with sea salt. Toss everything together. Roast in the top half of the oven until the squash is tender- about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan and set aside.

In a large dry skillet, add:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat the skillet and lightly toast the pecans briefly, till fragrant.

Add in the cooked quinoa and the butternut mixture.

Add:

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

A sprinkle of cumin, ginger or curry, to taste

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Drizzle the quinoa mixture with some fruity extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Heat through gently.

Serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/01/red-quinoa-with-butternet-squash.html#ixzz163wsZpWA

Quinoa Cranberry Pecan Hot Cereal

Quinoa Cranberry Pecan Hot Cereal

• 1/2 c. cooked quinoa, 1/4 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 1 tbsp. dried cranberries, 1 tsp. chopped pecans, dash of cinnamon and 1 tsp. sugar free maple syrup; mixed it in a bowl and heated it in the micro for 1 minute.

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 288.9

• Total Fat: 9.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 51.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 50.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8.0 g
• Protein: 5.9 g

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Clean Eating Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Tiffany over at the GraciousPantry created this combo. The perfect thing for when time is short and inspiration is too!

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-black-bean-quinoa-salad/